All Features articles – Page 637
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Features
Cost study: Day centres and sheltered housing
How much should a PFI care home cost? This study looks at where the money went on a £2.19m design-and-build contract for two day centres and sheltered housing for 50 elderly people in west London. Compiled by ECD Architects and Head Projects
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Features
How the roof is supported by the existing structures
Spanning the British Museum s central Great Court and encircling the grade I-listed Reading Room with a delicate steel and glass roof was an immense challenge for the project s engineer, Buro Happold. Not only did the weight of the roof have to be carried by the surrounding listed buildings ...
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Features
Green for life
Envest, the BRE s new software program, gives architects instant estimates for the environmental impact of their designs. How well does it work?
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Features
How much of what?
When you send your builder a notice saying you aren t going to pay the full amount asked for, do you have to say what you re withholding the money from? Well, it depends on the contract
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Features
The real story
Malcolm Clarke says construction isn t all big boys and cowboys. The NFB boss wants to tell clients and government about the smaller firms that make up 85% of the industry.
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Features
Ideas above its station
Walsall's landmark bus station does a lot more than shield passengers from the rain. It makes double-decker travel glamorous.
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Features
Appointments
Contractors Midas Construction has appointed Nigel Tiffin, previously with EBC Building and Maintenance, senior estimator. David Tennant has been appointed group environmental manager at MJ Gleeson. Housebuilders Steve Wiseman has been promoted to Scottish regional managing director at housebuilder McCarthy & Stone. Alistair Hare has been promoted to group commercial ...
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Features
The away game
In the third article on the FIDIC suite of international forms, they are found wanting when it comes to recovery of costs because of incidents outside contractors control.
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Features
Pane barrier
Transforming the bold, irregular curves of Foster and Partners' GLA building into simple, flat glazing panels meant double geometry for the design team.
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Features
The Birmingham firm that won the first quality mark
Millman Group is the first Birmingham firm to win the quality mark. Construction minister Nick Raynsford gratefully awarded the certificate at last week's Interbuild conference to manager Rebekah Millman. Raynsford and Millman also did an impromptu interview with local radio legend Ed Doolan on BBC Radio WM. Director David Millman ...
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Features
Clash points
The benefits of involving specialists early in the design process are huge. Savings of up to 60% can be made. But clients are reluctant. Why is this? Are they being poorly advised and what are they afraid of?
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Features
Clash points
Experienced clients have been involving specialists early for over a decade. It s the inexperienced customers that rely on the advice of consultants and might not be fully aware of the benefits.
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Features
Dealing with divorce
Clients fire consultants with the most threadbare excuses, in a way that would be inconceivable with contractors. So perhaps it s time for them to get tough and start insisting on termination fees.
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Features
Showdown at Spaghetti Junction
One-third of West Midlanders say they ve been ripped off, the press is going bananas and everybody wants government action. So, a perfect place to test the quality mark. Will it pass?
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Features
Lifelong learning
There s more to career development than a one-day training course, says Mace s human resources director.
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Features
Mix and match
The team building Glaxo SmithKline s headquarters in west London uses more than its fair share of data exchange technology. Its IT system combines CD-ROMs, an extranet and a technical drawings network.
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Features
Pebbles that spell trouble
Remember the shoe borrower s act from last week? An ambitious attempt to protect the rights of third parties, it can hinge on opinions about intention and that could be a problem.
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Features
Think thin
Every millimetre of space is at a premium in the City of London, so thinner walls can mean big gains for property developers. As MEPC proved, that can be a delicate balancing act
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Features
Where there’s muck…
A host of new companies have spotted the niche for services in the regeneration sector. Here are three that are making dosh from dirt by easing developers’ headaches.
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Features
What’s it worth, Guv?
If work is done in the absence of a contract, then whoever did it ought to get paid. Fair enough – but can a contractor exploit this situation to make a fat profit?